Iowa State Reflects On Election Outcome

This story was written by Bethany Pint, Iowa State Daily

Iowa State Universityprofessors said Wednesday that the election of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., is an example of the publics civic duty and will bring change to America.

Jim Hutter, associate professor of political science, said Election Day was democracy in action.

This election represents, more than anything else, a public disavowal of support for the Bush administration, Hutter said. This is the public doing what a democracy is assigned to do Basically, we had a small revolution. And we do ours with ballots instead of bullets, and we overthrew a government and put in a new government.

Steffen Schmidt, university professor of political science, speculated in an e-mail Wednesday what Obamas victory means for the direction of the country.

It means a new era in race relations and better respect for diversity, Schmidt wrote. It means a Hispanic will be nominated to the Supreme Court when an opening happens.

Schmidt wrote that the U.S. will take a more diplomatic approach to international relations and there will be more social concern for the well-being of citizens.

Hutter said voters seemed excited about this years election and put racial differences aside to elect Barack Obama.

And so we will now have, for the first time in history, not only a black President, but a black first lady and a black first family living in the White House, Hutter said.

Hutter said he thought on-site registration increased the number of votes cast in this years election.

This is the first time ever, that I could say Those of you that didnt do absentee ballots, you can go down right now and find your polling place and you can vote today, he said. It was just really gratifying to be able to say that.

James McCormick, professor of political science, said on-site registration wasnt the only factor in increased voter turnout.

You might point to one factor, on-site registration and early voting, but I think the overall driver of this was the tremendous organization, the large number of campaign officials and the large amount of money that the Obama campaign had, he said.

McCormick agreed with Hutters thoughts of the excitement surrounding the elections.

Certainly there was the charisma and the kind of a personal appeal the Obama campaign had, McCormick said.

McCormick said he expected an Obama victory, but didnt anticipate the magnitude of the electoral victory.